Could it Have Been
by NexusTehULF0o
Summary: …Only a dream? Sheelos. Oneshot.


**Title: Could it Have Been…**

**Author: NexustehULF0o**

**Description: …Only a dream? Sheelos. Oneshot.**

**Rating: K**

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**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TALES OF SYMPHONIA. I do own a copy of the books "The Things They Carried" and "Three Cups of Tea", and I own a computer, which I have to write and respond to quotes from aforementioned books on. So there. My summer in a nutshell for ya. **

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**Nexus: * busts down brick wall, breathing heavily while holding a hammer and chisel * "I FINALLY…I FINALLY DID IT! I BROKE DOWN THE WRITER'S BRICK WALL!" * major fist of victory ***

**Zelos: "Well, you could have just taken the detour." * points to orange sign that says "DETOUR****" in bold black letters ***

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Nexus: "Well…wellwellwell…" * snifflesob * "…FORGET IT!" * throws down chisel and hammer and storms off * **

**Zelos: "…" * 8/ ***

**Hopefully I'll be writing something more soon. I just wanted to get something out there so you guys wouldn't think I was dead or something. XD Nothing major Sheelos…just fluff, I suppose. A bit of angst on Zelos' part…dealing with Zelos issues…or "Zissues"? Haha Enjoy!**

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It was foggy.

Azure pools scanned the translucent room, and, after each examination's completion, he came to the same conclusion.

He had no idea where he was.

Standing, he brushed the grayish dust from his off-white pants, noticing the small ring around where he stood.

So, as far as he knew, he was alone.

He sighed, scuffing the bottom of his yellow-tipped boot on the hard floor while stuffing his hands in his pockets.

He had been here before. For the past week actually. Nothing had ever happened here. He simply stood, waiting for his dream to end and morning to come. He would think about many things in this meditative state – but mostly about himself. About his title.

He hated all of it.

All was silent omit a faint wind whispering sweet nothings into his ears and preventing him from hearing anything more than it.

His eye tried to focus on the space around him, which was becoming progressively harder to see, he noticed. The fog became thicker…his head became cloudier…he couldn't think straight…

Rubbing his temples, he doubled over. The numbing pain washed over his thoughts with the intensity of a large rolling wave, blurring his ability to contemplate where he was or why…

"Gah…I can't…take it…"

The sting shot through him, sending him spiraling into a fit of groaning. His mind could no longer concentrate on any one thing as his now-hazier-because-of-the-fog sight glanced around for any form of salvation.

"I…I need…"

A blurry figure phased into being from when he had last searched the extent of his vision. The numbing pain kept him from asking why. He proceeded in digging his fingers into his now messy peach-colored hair.

_No one is coming._

It spoke in a voice relatively the same as his. The small speech made his heart ache more than sending a sharp pain from his head.

"What…what do you mean…?"

_You know damn well what I mean. No one'll come for us…no matter how much or how loudly you call for `em…we're still alone._

"I'm...alone…?"

He stood weakly, placing a hand on his bent knee while looking up at the newcomer.

"You're wrong."

The blurry stranger merely stifled a laugh.

"You think I'm joking?"

The numbing sensation was beginning to clear in his head, albeit slowly. His free hand clenched into a fist, watching the person across from him warily, as if readying to fight if required. The last thing he needed was to be pissed off.

_How could you possibly not be? I don't know anybody who likes us. All we do is act like an asshole. We just push them all away…_

"We…?"

The person with him began to cackle once more.

_Of course. You didn't actually think that we were two different people, did you? Don't you don't know yourself when you see him?_

He could see that past his 'other self' stood a blurrier figure, which any distinguishing feature was beyond his reach. He took a moment to try and focus, ultimately achieving nothing.

"Hey! Out there! Anyone…!"

He called out, attempting to catch the person's attention.

He heard a slight growl emitted from his 'other self'.

_I told you that no one's coming! They all think you're a self-centered, perverted jackass!_

"That…that's not true…Sheena…Lloyd…"

_Don't make me laugh. The only reason Lloyd pretends to like us is because he actually pities such a pathetic thing! Oh, to be alone and unloved… Heheh, c'mon. And Sheena of all people…she thinks we're a complete asshole! As she should; we treat her like crap!_

"Shut up!"

He closed his eyes once more, wanting to derive his focus from the person now cackling at his expense.

_Even if we were to tell her how we feel now, she'd never accept us. None of them will. We'll always have your title, and nothing more. We'll just be Tethe'alla's philandering good-for-nothing Chosen, and that's it…_

"Sheena…I'm so…sorry…"

"Zelos…!" A soft whisper came from the depths of nowhere.

He shut his eyes tighter.

"I can't believe it's come to this…I'm so guilty…Sorry…I…"

"Zelos! Wake up!" The voice became louder, ringing in his ears as he clenched his teeth.

He blocked it out, covering his ears with his hands and groaning loudly.

"I…I never should have…I should have…told you…I'm sorry…so sorry…"

"_Zelos_!"

The Chosen of Tethe'alla sprung upward, unaware of his surroundings. It was darker than before, but the air was so…transparent. There was no fog, no haziness…no blur. He could think clearly, thank Martel. What_ happened? _

A young, black-haired woman sat next to him, her slightly worried eyes searching his face for the reason for the anxious calls of her name. He glanced around. Now he remembered. Camp. Dinner…Raine's cooking. He grimaced at that thought.

"Zelos? Are you all right?"

The first time in a while that he'd heard her sound genuinely concerned for him. Most of the time she would brush him off abruptly, denouncing everything produced from his mouth as not worthy for her ear.

He could reluctantly say that most of it wasn't.

"Zelos! Hey!"

A sudden snapping in front of his face finally brought her to his complete attention, his eyes once more focusing upon her delicate feminine features.

"You gonna tell me what's goin' on, or what?"

He sighed.

"What happened?" He played the dumb card, of course. A sly way to see how much she'd heard of his aptly recalled dream sequence.

"You were talking in your sleep. I thought you were talking to me at first, but then you just kept saying 'I'm sorry…I'm sorry…' You were kind of starting to creep me out…you okay? What're you so sorry about?"

Zelos contemplated this for a moment. Maybe he hadn't said the same things he was thinking in the conversation he'd had with his other half.

"I…I can't remember…" He placed a hand to his head after pausing a moment for dramatic effect.

"Weird." Sheena, moving her curious gaze away from him, looked upward without another word.

Of course he could remember. He remembered everything. But he'd never tell her. She might reject him again. He couldn't bear the thought of that.

Zelos shook his head, looking upwards as well to possibly catch what she was staring so intently at.

"You ever wonder if we'll ever go home, Zelos?" She asked, not once glancing away from the sky.

"What do you mean?" He replied swiftly and tactfully, now watching her figure shift to make herself comfortable while crossing her legs below her.

"I mean, with all the problems that Sylvarant and Tethe'alla are facing right now. If the worlds split apart… what'll happen to us?"

This must have been why Sheena was awake at this late hour and heard him talking in his sleep. It scared her that the recent development in the "saving the worlds" epic journey was that worlds Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, once all mana links were severed, would split and become two separate beings. She must be wondering if she was doing the right thing, being the one breaking the mana links. He sighed, letting his eyes meander around the sleeping forms of his comrades. He soon noticed that he and Sheena were not the only ones awake – Zelos looked over to spot Raine sitting a ways off, studying a book she'd recently bought at a shop vendor. She sometimes would lash out with a hushed "SPLENDID!" and flip a few pages ahead.

Zelos scoffed under his breath. Some night watch, he thought.

"I don't know…" he replied, it flowing rather contemplatively, which worked to his advantage. Sheena sighed, leaning his way to shift her weight onto her hand.

Something warm pressed against Zelos' hand. He looked down, suddenly watching her withdraw the action, grabbing her own hand before blushing furiously.

"Sorry…" she muttered, looking forward and placing her hands in her lap.

Zelos shrugged, languidly shaking the incident off. It wasn't the first time it had happened; although he'd never felt his heart beat quite as fast before.

"I don't know what to think…" she started, sighing a little. "What happens if the worlds really do split apart? What will happen if I…I never see Tethe'alla again?" The words, seeming a bit choked, came forward.

"Hey, hey, hey, Sheena." He began reassuringly, nudging her shoulder so she looked his way. "There's no need to be concerned about that now. What you're doing is for the greater good of the worlds. I'm sure of it." He nodded at her; he could tell that his words had somehow touched her, if only a little.

"Yeah…" she muttered under her breath, looking away from him and towards the floor. He sighed; that didn't completely pull her out of the rut, though. I almost never did.

"You'll see Tethe'alla again. Even if I have to build a rocket ship and blast us into another dimension to get you there, then I will." He moved his hand in a wavy pattern towards the starry sky in emphasis.

She chuckled softly.

"Us…?" She asked, looking up at him.

He laughed as well, not looking away from the stars. "Of course. You don't know how to man a rocket, do you? Yours truly knows all the controls." He pointed boldly to himself. "Plus, you'll need someone to look after you while you're floatin' around out there."

"Pshhhh. Like you know how to drive a rocket, Zelos." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her look away.

"Hey, you want to go back to Tethe'alla or not?" He nudged her again.

She laughed this time, leaning to the side in reaction to his push. "Yes, yes!" She added between gasps for air.

Sheena's laughter died down and silence enveloped the two. Zelos' eyes wandered, although his thoughts remained on Sheena. Would you help me? He asked her mentally. Would you save me if I needed help? He then looked away. Maybe not.

"Zelos." Sheena's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and returned his attention to the ninja beside him.

"Hm…?" He asked softly, as not to entirely break the quiet space between them.

"What do you think of Sylvarant? If we're stuck here after the worlds separate…" She trailed off, and then locking gazes with the Chosen's blue eyes. "And your rocket idea fails, of course." She added that part with humorous twinkles dancing about her chocolate brown pupils, he noticed. Zelos mildly shrugged.

"It's a hick country…but I guess I'll manage." He lied. He really did like Sylvarant; no one knew him as the Chosen and he had a very small fan base, which was good. Maybe he could take a long vacation before once again rising to power. "I mean, there _are _girls in Sylvarant, hunny."

"Pervert." She retorted playfully, pushing him over.

"Hey!" He said in the loudest tone he could without waking everyone, scrambling back to his sitting position. "You asked!"

Sheena just laughed. Seems he caught her in a good mood tonight.

I would come for you, Zelos thought, his grin fading. Help me, Sheena. I need you to help me. Save me from…me.

"We're only assuming all of this IF my rocket plan fails." He chuckled out.

"Yeah, sure, Zelos." She muttered, glancing at him momentarily before looking away. "Well, it's late. I'm going to bed…night."

"Sleep tight~" He sang, smiling slyly at her, she just shook her head. Placing his hands behind his own head, he was about to lie back down when he heard the ninja call his name again.

He may have looked over a bit too eagerly.

She flashed him a genuine smile.

"Thanks." She nodded.

"You're welcome." He replied, and then watched her return to her sleeping quarters. Sighing, he flopped his head back onto his pillow and absentmindedly stargazed until he slowly drifted off to sleep…

...

_Back again, are ya? _

His eyes snapped open.

He was here again. In the fog. There was a sharp throb in the back of his mind where the pain still resided from his last visit here. And his other self was still standing a distance away to where he could only see a blurry form of him.

"Yeah. I'm back."

He replied this confidently without opening his mouth at all, remembering that thoughts were the only things spoken here.

_You finally realized. That we'll always be alone. No family, no friends, no one to save us. How does that feel? To be a Chosen loved by nobody…and we'll live that way for the rest of our life…_

His hands tightened into fists at his sides at the words his counterpart had said.

"You're wrong."

_Am I?_

"You're wrong. I know she'll save me. I know she will."

His other self cackled nefariously.

He cringed. The throbbing in the back of his mind came forward, his mind exploding into figurative flame.

_Let's test that theory, shall we? _

Suddenly, there was blackness beneath his feet.

He looked below him. There didn't seem to be an end to the darkness, and somehow, when he gazed down into it, the pain in his mind subsided.

_Give into your darkness, and all pain will drift away. Give in or these demons will continue to haunt you, and you alone._

He began to fall.

Somehow, he knew the darkness had always been there – following closely behind him whenever he thought of his title; his mother; his sister; his life. Falling into it would only make things so much easier. But he would not go. Reaching both hands into the air as if to instinctively grab on to a ledge, he shut his eyes once more, knowing that he'd most likely fall alone.

Suddenly, he stopped falling.

Something had grabbed him, saved him from the darkness; the demons of his past.

But he continued to hang there. Something had saved him, but he didn't know what or who or why. His other self didn't say a word.

"I…" he thought, it echoing out of his head while he looked down.

No more demons. No more suffering. He would not carry this burden alone. Who had saved him? Had she saved him, just like he thought? He would love to know.

Zelos craned his neck upward.

A light flashed.

Zelos awoke sharply, sitting straight up before glancing to either side of him.

To his surprise, Sheena had also sat straight up, and was now looking right at him. She watched him as if there were something on his face. He even checked.

"G'morning." He nodded, pulling at his lip with his thumb to make sure that nothing hid at the corners of his mouth.

"Morning." She replied, although something about her didn't seem quite right about her.

He stood, and she followed suit soon after. After going about folding up the blankets he slept on, he thought he heard something whisper his name.

"Zelos."

He could have sworn it was just the wind. The call was so soft he had no idea whether to look up or not, looking stupid if he did so and on one was calling him.

"Zelos!"

It called again. Someone was definitely calling him. He looked up to see the raven-haired ninja staring his way. He heaved half a sigh of relief when he realized he wasn't hearing things. But damn, had he been having problems paying attention lately...

The Chosen half-expected to hear teasing about when they talked last night, or something provoking his mask would have to retaliate to as Sheena quickly stepped over to where he was standing. As soon as she was within whispering distance, she proceeded to look him in the eye sternly enough to where the Chosen was genuinely confused. They were on such good terms last night…what did he do?

"Hm...?" He asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

"I need to ask you something."

"What?" He asked, blinking once or twice to adjust to the sun now beaming in his eyes.

Sheena took on an odd look, something like that she felt like she had to say something, although wasn't sure why.

"I remember your hand. Did I grab it in time?" She pulled his hand from his side as if instinctively, before entwining it with hers. "I remember urgency…" She looked up at him, worried. "Tell me you're okay."

The most he could give her was a knowing smile.

Take that, he thought. I'm not alone anymore.

His 'other self' stayed in the recessed of his mind from that moment on.

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**Nexus: "Maybe this turned out better than I thought it would. I just know that dreams can be pretty lacking sometimes…and even when they are, you can sometimes still understand them. I don't know. I just broke down the wall." * points to the wall * "I can't really even think straight right now. My mind is reeling will all sorts of things. Hopefully I'll have something more up soon. But for now, read and review."**

**R&R Man: "Awwww…" * sulksulk ***

**Nexus: "R&R Man, I'm sorry … I'm going to go wallow in my amount of things to do now…" **


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